Policy on external links

[WebMaster - Library]

Does anyone here have (or know of) a page on their institution's Web site
that delineates a policy on external links -- i.e., who or what you will or
will not link to?  I'm in the process of prodding the City to come up with
some sort of written policy so we don't end up like the City of Cookeville,
TN in:

The Putnam Pit, Inc.; Geoffrey Davidian, 
          Plaintiffs-Appellants,
          v.
City of Cookeville, Tennessee; Jim Shipley,
          Defendants-Appellees.

http://pacer.ca6.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/getopn.pl?OPINION=00a0235p.06

The City Attorney's office suggested restricting links to governmental,
non-profit, and consumer-service type organizations, but we're already well
beyond that point.  For instance, the Library maintains a local Internet
directory that includes links to all the local media outlets (all of which
are commercial except for PBS, of course).

Basically, I've just been using common sense when it comes to adding
external links.  If someone in a City department wants a particular link,
I've always added it.  These are inevitably links to state and federal
agencies, professional organizations, regulatory bodies, etc.  No problems
here, basically.  I do get a steady stream of e-mail requests from external
entities -- most of them commercial in nature -- to link to their sites.  I
almost always deep-six those, except when I think something might have local
informational value, in which case I pass it along to the Reference
Department for their consideration.

We already have a disclaimer on the Web site: "The appearance of a link on
this web site to a business or commercial site does not constitute an
endorsement by the City of Clearwater."  But this isn't the same as an
actual policy on external links.

At this point, any input would serve as food for thought.  Thanks in
advance.

Shirl Kennedy 
Web Doyenne 
City of Clearwater, FL

We have enough youth.  How about a fountain of smart?